This post is basically a character goal generator.

I wanted to create it because at work when we look at novel proposals at work, we’re always asking, “What’s the character goal? What’s the character motivation?” We want characters who aren’t just wandering through their lives…characters with wants and desires.

When a character has a goal and motivation, there is built-in tension and conflict. Will she get want she wants—or, in some cases, will she figure out that it’s not such a great goal, after all? If a heroine is running a very successful bakery, well, good for her, but there’s not much inherent drama there. In contrast, if she’s running a struggling bakery, and she’s a single mom with two kids to feed…well, then she has a clear goal (make the business work) and strong motivation. We’re more likely to root for her and to want to find out what happens next.

When characters have conflicting goals—or if they both want the same thing, maybe for different but very understandable reasons, and only one of them can get it—that makes things exciting. And when you have a team of characters working toward the same goal, they may each have a different motivation, which can lead to interesting clashes along the way.

 

That’s why I thought I’d do this “wants list” for characters. Each goal has two or three possible character motivations attached to it. Of course, I can’t create a complete list of possible desires…it would go on forever! But one of these character goal examples may spark a whole story or a help you flesh out a secondary character or a villain. (It’s important to know what your evil character wants, too.) Even more likely, reading through the list may give you new perspective on the character goals and character motivation in your story. As in real life, a character may have more than one motivation for a goal!

Any of these story lines can be used for a character of any gender, so I’m going to use the second person “you” to keep it open.

Be sure to pin or bookmark it for future reference!

1. Assassinate the king.

possible motivations:

Avoid the war the king is hell-bent on starting.

Get his successor—your friend, your secret lover, your daughter, or yourself—on the throne.

2. Get accepted into a prestigious college.

possible motivations:

Make the bullies you went to school with jealous.

Finally win your father’s approval.

3. Get a new job.

possible motivations:

Escape a mean boss or an unpleasant coworker.

Actually work in your chosen field.

4. Make a fortune.

possible motivations:

Impress the person you’re in love with…who’s very high-class.

Have the means to exact revenge on your enemies.

Make sure your parents, siblings, or children never have to worry about money again.

5. Move to New York City or Paris.

possible motivations:

Experience the glamorous, big-city life you’ve always dreamed of.

Create a new identity for yourself in a place where nobody knows you, so that you can escape the people who want you dead.

6. Journey to a faraway country…or planet.

possible motivations:

Establish a new settlement away from a dying planet or an oppressive regime.

Become famous for your exploration…which will make you feel important.

Conduct research on behalf of your government and satisfy your own curiosity in the process.

Establish a new colony and expand your country’s empire, satisfying your nationalistic zeal in the process.

Satisfy your extreme and perhaps unfortunate desire for adventure and danger.

Get far away from the person who broke your heart.

6. Return to your own hometown.

possible motivations:

Help out an ailing or aging relative.

Move in with a relative or friend because you’re down on your luck.

7. Adopt a dog.

possible motivations:

Have some company because you’re lonely.

Have a guard dog because you don’t feel safe living on your own.

Keep the dog from being euthanized at the shelter.

8. Lose weight.

possible motivations:

Look good for an upcoming wedding, vacation, or special event.

Lower your risk of heart disease.

9. Learn how to do yoga.

possible motivations:

Deal with stress in a healthy way.

Feel younger and more nimble.

10. Get elected to public office.

possible motivations:

Pass important legislation that would’ve helped one of your family members.

Use the position to make more money for your businesses.

11. Create something artistic, such as a painting or a screenplay.

possible motivations:

Depict a real person, either to honor or disparage them.

Make people see the truth about a situation or issue.

Bring more joy to a specific person or group of people…or the world.

12. Figure out who the killer is.

possible motivations:

Prove a wrongfully accused person (possibly a family member, romantic interest, or close friend) innocent.

Get justice because the victim was a family member, romantic interest, or close friend.

Give them a reward—the person they killed was a monster.

13. Get married.

possible motivations:

Avoid living alone.

Start a family.

Find someone to help you take care of the children you already have.

(United States) Get on someone else’s insurance…or let them get on your insurance.

14. Start a small business.

possible motivations:

Be able to work in your hometown, close to family.

Survive—no other company would hire them.

Do what you’ree best at and feel the most passionate about, every day.

15. Get a divorce.

possible motivations:

Get away from physical or emotional abuse.

Marry a different person you’ve become infatuated with.

Spare your spouse from danger, because bad guys are after you.

16. Fix up an old house.

possible motivations:

Sell it for a big profit.

Have a decent place for you and your family to live, even though you don’t have a lot of money.

Turn it into a bed and breakfast.

17. Kidnap a person.

possible motivations:

Keep them from being kidnapped or killed by evil people.

Sell them into modern-day slavery.

Get them to use their unique talents or skills to perform a certain task or mission.

18. Throw a party.

possible motivations:

Make friends because you’re new in town or at the college.

Have the opportunity to flirt with one or more of the people you invited.

Surprise someone you love.

Cheer up someone you love.

19. Recover from an illness or an injury.

possible motivations:

Be able to attend an important event.

Return to your job or your sport.

20. Win a competition.

possible motivations:

Win glory for your school, your city, your country, or your planet.

Feel proud and accomplished.

Win the prize money for someone who needs it.

Prove a racist or sexist wrong.

Demonstrate to your child that they can do anything they set their minds to.

21. Procure top-secret information for a foreign government.

possible motivations:

Get revenge on your own country’s government for a past wrong or perceived wrong.

Feel important.

Enjoy the thrill of danger.

22. Run a marathon.

possible motivations:

Get in better shape.

Raise money for a cause.

Be able to brag about it.

23. Become a soldier.

possible motivations:

Defend your country from invaders.

Get a steady paycheck.

(United States) Get a college education you can’t afford otherwise.

24. Have a baby.

possible motivations:

Give a kid an ideal childhood.

Have someone to dress in cute little outfits.

Have someone to take care of you when you’re older.

Give your parents a grandchild.

Try to fix your troubled marriage or relationship.

25. Develop a vaccine.

possible motivations:

Save countless lives.

Be celebrated as a scientific genius.

Beat your rival, who’s also working on a vaccine.

26. Kick an addiction.

possible motivations:

Be able to hold down a job.

Feel more self-respect.

Gain more respect from your family.

Save a lot of money.

Enjoy life more.

27. Learn a foreign language.

possible motivations:

Be prepared for an upcoming trip to a foreign country.

Further your career by adding it to your list of skills.

Read works by a particular writer—or a particular document—in its original language.

Communicate with a specific person in their own language.

28. Get someone falsely convicted of a crime.

possible motivations:

Deflect suspicion from the real criminal.

Get revenge for what they did to you or your family.

29. Start dating someone.

possible motivations:

Find someone to attend a wedding or another function with, because it feels awkward to go alone.

Get over an ex by going out with someone new, even if it’s not at all serious.

Take the first step toward finding a wife, husband, or partner.

30. Organize a successful festival.

possible motivations:

Attract more tourist dollars and help local businesses.

Make happy memories for friends and neighbors.

31. Find a particular object.

possible motivations:

Prove or disprove a scientific or historical theory.

Use the object’s magical powers for a specific purpose.

32. Destroy a particular object.

possible motivations:

Hide the truth about history or about a crime.

Demonstrate your hatred of what the object represents.

Keep the powerful object from falling into the wrong hands.

33. Become immortal.

possible motivations:

Always look young.

Get to travel the world and have countless adventures.

Get to be with the one you love forever, since they’re already immortal.

Avoid imminent death from a disease.

34. Track down a biological mother, father, or sibling you’ve never met before.

possible motivations:

Satisfy your curiosity about the past.

Satisfy your curiosity about whether you have much in common with them.

Develop a close family relationship now.

35. Retire.

possible motivations:

Spend more time on hobbies or passions.

Spend more time with grandkids or family.

Move to a place you like better.

36. Make contact with aliens.

possible motivations:

Make new friends, since you seem to have trouble getting along with humans.

Learn about new technology from them.

Prove that your childhood encounter with them really happened.

37. Start a revolution.

possible motivations:

Create a better world for your children.

Save those who are imprisoned, oppressed, or starving.

Bust a particular person out of jail.

Gain a lot of power for yourself in the new order.

38. Find a missing person.

possible motivations:

Get them back into your life.

Make sure nothing terrible has happened to them.

Get key information from them.

Arrest them for their crimes.

39. Get a tattoo.

possible motivations:

Mark a significant event or milestone.

Honor a loved one.

Feel like a badass.

Fit in with a group.

Rebel against a parent or partner.

40. Reconcile with someone you fought with.

possible motivations:

Have them back in your life again, because you miss them.

Make sure they don’t retaliate against you or someone you love.

Ask them to join you in a new cause.

41. Set a building on fire.

possible motivations:

Kill a particular person or group of people in the building.

Destroy damning evidence inside the building.

Collect insurance money.

42. Plant a garden.

possible motivations:

Have fresh organic produce because it’s healthier.

Have fresh organic produce because you’re a chef and it tastes better in recipes.

Have a source of food in case society completely breaks down.

43. Become a church member.

possible motivations:

Strengthen your faith.

Atone for past sins.

Make new friends.

Make a churchgoing relative happy.

Make new business connections.

Look like an upstanding citizen, because you’re about to run for mayor.

44. Go into hiding.

possible motivations:

Avoid the authorities who want to imprison and/or execute you.

Avoid your unpleasant family.

Avoid paying a large amount of money you owe.

45. Save your marriage.

possible motivations:

Return to the happiness you used to know with the person.

Avoid financial ruin.

Ensure a stable home life for your children.

Avoid feeling like you failed.

Avoid the judgement of your family or friends.

46. Travel to the other side of the world.

possible motivations:

Attend a funeral and pay your last respects.

Get amazing photos for your Instagram.

Satisfy your hunger for grand adventures.

47. Become famous.

possible motivations:

Become rich, which often comes with being famous.

Have a platform to talk about issues that matter most to you.

Get a huge ego boost.

48. Break up a couple.

possible motivations:

Get your family member to marry someone of a higher status.

Get one of them to marry you instead.

Ruin the happiness of one of them, because you harbor a grudge.

49. Get two people to fall in love and get married.

possible motivations:

Make your friend or family member happy.

Get them to pass down their supernatural powers…and give birth to an even more powerful child.

Get the grandchildren that you want.

Further your reputation as a talented matchmaker, because it makes you feel important.

50. Change a law.

possible motivations:

Further your own business interests.

Bring about more equality for yourself.

Bring about more equality for others.

Be able to enjoy yourself more.

 

Do you have some other character goal examples, or ideas or advice to share about character motivation or goals? Let us know in the comments! And if you like character development and plotting lists, check out my book Master Lists for Writers—it includes lists of motives for murder and other plot-building ideas, and it’s a great reference to have on your bookshelf.

Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

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